Tummy Tuck/Cosmetic Surgery

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  • vision2012
    vision2012 Posts: 33 Member
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    Ladies for those of you who have had it, what was the pain level like? How long before you felt "normal" and could drive, walk straight, etc
  • kelly29414
    kelly29414 Posts: 33 Member
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    vision2012 wrote: »
    Ladies for those of you who have had it, what was the pain level like? How long before you felt "normal" and could drive, walk straight, etc


    I had my tummy tuck in 2004 after a successful (and much loved) breat reduction in 2000. I had the sagging flaps of belly skin after gaining 70 lbs with my only pregnancy. To be very honest, the pain was excruciating and I have a high pain threshold. I was out of work for 9 days (surgery on a Friday, back to work a week from that first Monday). I went to a movie on aboug day 4 or 5 and the walk from the car to the theater exhausted me. It took probably two weeks to be able to stand up straight and three weeks before i felt relatively normal. I couldn't do any ab work for months afterward, though, because it was too uncomfortable.

    Looking for friends if anyone wants to add me.
  • KimberlyTG2
    KimberlyTG2 Posts: 84 Member
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    Yes. I had mine in Dec. I have had 2 kids, I got hernias with both pregnancy's. I decided to have the tummy tuck when the Doc told me that he would have to do muscle repair with the hernia surgery and the top half of my stomach would be flat but I would always have the loose hanging skin. I couldn't live with that. So I had my surgery when my son was 6 month (so I could do it in the same year since I had met my insurance deductible and the hernia surgery would be free). It was challenging, but by Christmas I was moving around pretty good. It was a great decision! It allowed me to get my confidence back (which my husband is happy with;0) and I was motivated to get back to the gym and try to get my body looking even better. I would be happy to answer any questions
  • MrsBailey149
    MrsBailey149 Posts: 248 Member
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    I have mine scheduled for Aug. 3rd. A couple years ago I had a breast lift/implant (an implant only because I had so much loose skin, some needed to be filled...they were a mess). I've had one pregnancy, when I was 20 (I'm 31 now) and have lost 60 pounds at one point. I've since gained back a bit, so I have until Aug. 3rd to lose that 20 I gained :/ I wasn't going to allow myself to do the tummy tuck unless I was at goal weight, but the deposit is made, so I guess I better get working on this!

    One of my bestest friends is a surgical tech in Florida, so I travel from Wisconsin to Florida for my surgeries, where I can have her doctor (a very good one :) work on me, with my friend right in there during the whole thing. Then, I have a pro taking care of me.

    They have a new drug that is a time-released pain reliever ( I forget the name..starts with an E) and is suppose to dramatically reduce the amount of pain experienced over the first few days, so I'm glad that recently came out! I'm staying in Florida for 10 days and then will return home. I"m a teacher, so I'll have another week before work starts back up. I'm just hoping I'm standing up straight asap and not all huge and swollen. I really don't want to advertise to anyone what I did (at work anyway...)

    The drains make me nervous! ewww...but my friend told me, I won't even have to look at them- she'll take care of it. Yay :)

    I'm so excited. Aug. 3rd can't come soon enough! I want to be able to crawl sexy-like towards my husband without having my saggy huge vagina-like stomach practically grazing the ground. hahaha...ick.
  • bug1114
    bug1114 Posts: 268 Member
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    vision2012 wrote: »
    Ladies for those of you who have had it, what was the pain level like? How long before you felt "normal" and could drive, walk straight, etc

    I had a drainless TT with muscle tightening. Drainless is the way to go in my personal opinion. I agree with one of the other ladies who replied, the pain was excruciating, and I also have a pretty high pain tolerance. I only took painkillers for the first few days though, because I don't like how they make me feel. It's very hard to move around, even moving a little bit hurts and takes a long time. I wasn't able to stand up straight until around the end of week 4. I planned on going back to work after being off for a week, but I developed a blood clot in my leg from the surgery and was out another week because of that. (Note - If you are taking birth control pills before your surgery, you need to come off of it! You are already at a higher risk for clots being on the pill, and the surgery increases that risk even more.) I also wasn't able to do ab work for the first six months, but I was able to start working out again after three months. One thing I noticed with my surgery was that the true results didn't show until around the 9 month mark. There was a lot of swelling and stuff that had to go down, and it took so much longer than I expected it to.

    Just be realistic with your expectations of how you will look after the TT. I think a lot of people expect to have a super flat stomach with no pooch when they sit down, and that's not necessarily realistic if you have body fat (which most of us do). That's why I recommend the website Real Self, because everyone's results are different and you can get an idea of what to expect.

    One piece of advice for those of you who have not yet had the surgery but are going to - get a 10 pound bag of bird seed and put it in a pillow case for after your surgery. Lay that across your stomach while you are sitting and laying down, even when you are wearing the binder. The pressure will help keep the swelling down and the birdseed easily shapes itself to your body, so it gives you an extra feeling of support and stability. When you go in the car, take it with you too! If for some reason the person driving has to stop quickly, the seatbelt will tighten around the birdseed and not your incision. My surgeon recommended it to me, and it was a lifesaver!


  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
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    I had a full tummy tuck and breast reduction after losing 70 lbs and two kids. I had such a huge flap, two doctors suggested I not wait until I was at goal. Statistically I may never reach goal, so I wanted it done to enjoy my life in the mean time. Is my body perfect? No because I still have a lot to lose, but I was so depressed because of the flap hanging down and having pendulum breasts.
    It's incredibly painful. I had my two kids without anesthesia and I'd give birth a million times rather than have another tummy tuck or reduction. Doing both at the same time I couldn't use my arms, so moving was difficult. Get or borrow a recliner for the first month, since you can't be flat for weeks, it's physically impossible and you risk ripping stitches.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Thank you for sharing, everybody. This is a very interesting thread. I am hoping not to have to go the tummy tuck route but I don't know what lies ahead for me. This is not me but is pretty representative of where I am right now. My foldover is slightly larger with it starting over my hip bones. Like the woman in the picture, I am pretty fit everyplace else on my body so I am a bit worried about how much more weight I'll need to lose the stomach. I still feel a lot of fat in there so it seems like I have a ways to go but I think it's impossible to tell ahead of time.
  • kellyxax
    kellyxax Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm having a tummy tuck in June :)
  • bbontheb
    bbontheb Posts: 718 Member
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    Bumping this because I know at some point I may consider it although I hate pain, had c-sections with horrible recovery. Anyone who had in the last few months?
  • enkiemonkey
    enkiemonkey Posts: 82 Member
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    Great thread. Thanks everyone for sharing your experience. I'm saving up for a tuck.
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
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    I had one 5 years ago. Even though I gained weight back (due to meds) my belly looks good. Pain was horrible for 2 weeks and it took a very long time for the swelling to go down so you do not have an instant flat belly. However, it was totally worth it and I would do it again, and after I lose this weight, who knows what kind of surgery I might have. feel free to reach out if you have any questions and I would be happy to talk to you
  • Nickyc00
    Nickyc00 Posts: 11 Member
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    Hello everyone .. Thanks for taking the time to post on this subject. I enjoyed reading all your stories and don't feel so alone in my quest to want to feel good about myself .. When I mention to friends they think I'm totally crazy and stupid so I keep it to myself. Don't want to go out of this life wishing .... I have spent just over 2 years working hard on becoming healthy and exercise and calorie counting. I'm no angel but I am stable in my weight. I saw a consultant a few months ago and he said the type of fat I have .. No exercise can get rid of so I will have that loose skin hang.. Sooo disheartening but I keep going and think bout all the health benefits and not just about vanity elements to keep me strong. Please Keep updating your progress and feel free to add me .. Nicky C in the UK x
  • kittycatsinunderpants
    kittycatsinunderpants Posts: 43 Member
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    I truly am glad that so many of you have had successful procedures, but it is not always the case. In 2018, my best friend died after complications from a tummy tuck. The doctor said it was “textbook perfect.” Then, two days later, blood clot and dead. They give the warnings for a reason. No surgery should be taken lightly.

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