Mommy Got A Makeover

Mommy Got A Makeover-Tummy Tucks Take Guts 02/09/2009 from Wenter Blair

How many times has your muffin top reminded you of the all lusciously plump, muffin tops that got you to where you are? Pinched an inch and a yardstick was necessary? How about opened up the Victoria Secret catalog and whispered, "the secret is a tummy tuck and new boobs!" Well ladies, the secret is out and I am yelling it from the rooftops. If you have the gut to loose and the guts to go thru with it, a tummy tuck is an incredibly painful, expensive, consuming transformation that is completely worth the insanity it entails. You want to know the truth about how this miracle of modern medicine really works, well I'm here to tell you my story.

Multiple C-sections, several abdominal surgeries along with a healthy disdain for jogging in any kind of weather provided me with a lower belly that was the inspiration for Jabba the Hut. Slow motion reels of me running on a beach showed the gelatinous nature of my stomach that I, oh so skillfully, covered with a fake tan and a starfish patterned sarong. WRONG! Nothing was hiding except my face in embarrassment at the reality of my tummy. I had joked that someday I would get it all done; the boobs, belly and butt...that was thousands of dollars and who knew if perhaps another kiddo would be the "last" one. It turned out my eight year old would be the final act of all things that make me a mother.

For a few years I had made note and reported to my OB/GYN that my body was changing in horrific ways. Hemorrhagic cysts on my ovaries had resulted in surgeries to repair and eventually remove my left ovary. Violent nausea and hormone-generated menstrual migraines had begun to dot my calendar, but just once a month. Ridiculously heavy cycles incarcerated me in my bathroom for hours. Unbearable leg cramps grabbed my calves like unrelenting vices and random fits of rage kept my family on edge. I wanted a hysterectomy and a tummy tuck. The hysteria that can accompany a choice like that played out for several months as I grappled with the idea that I was choosing to give away the gift of creating life. God made me a woman and I struggled over whether or not more children were in the stars or if by having this elective surgery I was dooping myself into believing I would come out the other end looking like the stars I see on magazine covers. For two years my OB/GYN refused to keep the matter of my request on the table and then suddenly, the all mighty Endometrial Ablation..

An Ablation is a revolutionary medical procedure in which an informed medical professional lasers your uterus in an outpatient procedure with the result being the prevention of heavy bleeding. I agreed that while this wasn't going to fix all my medical issues it was certainly a start. And that was when it all stopped and crash landed on my head. Ladies, if you have a tilted uterus or have had multiple C-Sections, you are not a good candidate for this typically positive procedure. Please make note of this heads-up as I don't recall anyone sharing that nugget of life altering information with me. I woke up in post op to a seemingly uninformed Gynecologist asking me if I was aware my uterus was tilted like a kid leaning back in a class room chair and making note of that fact that a huge hole had been punched thru my uterus wall. "Excuse me? What? I must still be delirious, did you just say...." I mumbled as the doctor I had known for two years told me to call in a few weeks and we would try again, then walked away. The discharge nurse dropped open his mouth in disbelief and I prayed my husband was on his way to my side. I was still shaking my foggy head and uttering confusion when I turned to the nurse and asked if I had heard correctly. He nodded as my husband asked how I was. I relayed the staggering story and begged him to catch the doctor to confirm what I had heard. For five days we called that doctor as my abdomen swelled and my misery extended to self-loathing for choosing the presumed convenience that would come from this elective procedure. No return call.

I was extremely angry and fear began to submerge me into depression. Who could I trust? Dr. Holt had delivered my sister-in-law's son and under incredible circumstances, and after one call I was in to see her by lunchtime. Her first question was why hadn't I asked for a hysterectomy before? My eyes dropped and I told her the whole story. We decided, after some testing and an exam, that indeed, my instincts were correct....this is code for follow your hearts, ladies!

It was at my follow up visit that Dr. Holt asked if I had considered a tummy tuck in conjunction with the hysterectomy. I had and was rather excited about the prospect. Dr. Holt explained several options and with my husband's input, we collectively decided that due to the nature of all my previous medical procedures, a total hysterectomy was most appropriate. But who would do the tummy tuck, how much would it cost and was it worth it? Dr. Carmen Stiles, nearly ten thousand (insurance covered the hysterectomy), and an unequivocal yes!

Before and Afters! I wanted to find the doctor with the best Afters, or so I thought. When choosing a plastic surgeon you want a family of staff supporting you and vested in your success. This means that any question, fuss or concern, is handled with compassion, humor and a heartfelt smile. While your procedure takes only a few hours, there is a month of care and attention BEFORE you are augmented and months of care that FOLLOW. The quality of care is CRITICAL....let me repeat that, critical to your eventual success with the procedure. I had the good fortune of knowing some fabulous friends who had already become an After and I was quick to ask them who they suggested and why. Keep in mind that I had to choose a board certified plastic surgeon who would work in conjunction with my always smiling and immaculately professional Dr. Holt. Both procedures would happen in tandem so both physicians had to have capacity on their calendars and privileges at the hospital of my choosing. Baylor Frisco was where I knew I would want to spend an eventual four days in recovery and I had an overall feeling of trust with the staff I had met. So it was there that Dr. Holt and Dr. Stiles changed my world for the better.

It wasn't until after I had been opened up in surgery that Dr. Holt realized my remaining ovary had been herniated outside of my fascia lining and that it was cloaked in another cyst while it lay lodged near my hip! Add a collapsing lung and a dangerously slow heart rate to the scenario and my procedure was resembling a scene from a harrowing TV show. Thank goodness my doctors don't play actors on TV and that my Anesthesiologist was prepared to save my life. I woke up a day later in my hospital room with a friend leaning against the wall talking with my husband. Medical records show I woke up several times before then, spoke to nurses and even consumed broth, but I have no memory of it. The next thing I remember was landing softly in the healing chair.

Write this down if you are planning on having this surgery.

1. Lots and lots of pain meds equals lots and lots of memory lapses. Those heavy duty Rx's should be administered by a trusted family member or friend without fail. Your medicine needs to be administered on a strict schedule if you want to achieve any level of comfort. This fell to my ever present and doting husband who was inexorably excited about the After I was becoming. Thank you Honey!

2. Get a healing chair. A what? This is one of those secrets I am shouting. A Healing Chair is one of those super snuggly lounge chairs that recline nearly flat or stand you up out of the chair with a touch of a button. Typically, these chairs are marketed to the elderly or folks with ambulatory problems. They can be rented from medical supply stores or purchased out right. Since I was only going to be ambulating to the bathroom for the next two weeks, my healing chair became my world. I slept, ate, and entertained family and friends from my healing chair. From my healing chair I could watch TV, keep my feet elevated to maintain the mandatory "V" in my posture as I healed and nap when my Rx's or night drew my eyes closed.

3. No lifting, driving or shuffling up and down stairs for a couple weeks post surgery. I came out of the hospital with pneumonia so I would add coughing and laughing to this list of restricted activities. Laughter is typically the best medicine and I was laughing when a coughing fit occurred and I split my incision open just above my right leg. A trip back to Dr. Stiles resulted in a good scolding and more stitches. Be prepared to be useless to anyone for a few weeks. Everyone is second string to mom but your family will appreciate the advance game plan.

4. An angled foam pillow will keep you comfortable when you eventually attempt to lay in bed. The cinch keeping your tummy swelling at bay and the wound wrapping from one hip to the other will seem tolerable when your legs are elevated as you lay on your back.

5. Consider if there is ANY OTHER part of your body you want augmented and do it at the same time. This will cut down on your expenses. Dr. Stiles is a master at Mommy Makeovers and has been celebrated in D Magazine and other media for her superior artisanry in sculpting the human body.

6. Be patient with yourself and recognize that your new concave tummy and belly button are going to take months to ....yes, a new belly button! Mine was off center an inch for about a month as the swelling went down. Made me laugh till I cried tears of pain from over exerting myself by laughing at my belly button!

7. The scar will subside and your doctor will have effective, clever tools to help you manage that in the months following your surgery. Dr. Stiles gave me, in my all inclusive package of services, a series of silicone laced strips that lessen the appearance of your scar.

It's been four months since my hysterectomy/tummy tuck. I am healed but still have bouts of discomfort when I sneeze hard or over stretch to grab a certain someone as he zooms by on their Rip Stick IN THE KITCHEN! I am trying a light indoor workout and have learned that if you push it too hard too early, you will spend the next day in bed or in your oh so comfortable, over stuffed, healing chair while wrapped up in a satiny soft blanket watching stories on day time TV. Well that's not so bad after all!

While the failed Ablation was a low point for a few days, it was the catalyst that pushed towards a fabulous new OB and introduced the plausibility of becoming an After myself. The momentum I have from my new belly button and flat abdomen has ignited a renewed commitment to healthy living habits and that is a blessing. The horrific symptoms that accompanied all my female parts and pieces have evaporated. Even the onset of minor hot flashes can be skewed to the positive if you consider each rush of heat more calories burned!