Reviews

Piper22

Review from Realself

Sep 24, 2014

extremely excited 29 year old getting a TT SOON! - Boston, MA Today I met with Dr. Christopher Davidson for a consultation about changing my body through plastic surgery. I used to be 215lbs, and through diet and exercise I arrived at 140, but then unfortunately bounced back to 165. I'm 29 years old, and my body hasn't been responding to my excessive exercise the way it used to when I initially lost the weight just four years ago. I eat healthy and exercise regularly, so what gives? I also have loose skin around my tummy from the weight loss which no amount of exercise can reduce, so with the support of my boyfriend (as pushy as that support may have seemed at times lol) I decided to consult a plastic surgeon. After lots of research Dr. Davidson was at the top of my list, and we apparently have a lot to choose from in Boston. I was so nervous entering his office on the day of my consultation, but I had no reason to be. He and his staff are amazingly nice and incredibly patient and knowledgeable. I had a list of probably 30 questions walking into his exam room, but after talking to me about what I was interested in getting and what my results would be with those surgeries, he conducted a speech that seemed so genuine and thoughtful, and it hit nearly all of my questions on the list! He was extremely patient, present, and attentive when I asked the few questions he did not cover, even the ones my boyfriend sprinkled in. Talking about something so private and being naked for part of the exam could have been horribly embarrassing, but it wasn't at all! Dr. Davidson has an amazing bedside manner, and used non doctor terms that I could understand (lol.) He also has an appropriate amount of humor to remind you he's very genuine and sincere, and also human. No robotic doctors here! This may seem unimportant to some people, but given how intimate this procedure Is going to be and the amount of follow up work that will be incorporated into my healing process I want a doctor I can be completely candid with, and someone I want to return to see during my checkups and not feel like I'm wasting his time with my trivial questions or like I'm an inconvenience. Something that really surprised me was when I told Dr. Davidson my concerns about my butt being disproportionate to my stomach after the operation he said he was hesitant of lipo-ing my butt because the results don't tend to last and you get a saggy butt early in life. I asked how about a Brazillian butt lift? He said I don't really need that, and it's such a big procedure for something I don't really need. He also advised me I don't really need much lipo-ing of my upper arms, that there isn't that much there to take. But my boyfriend quickly chimed in that I won't wear sleeveless dresses because of what is there, and that even if he (my boyfriend) doesn't notice post op I will, and that is enough of a reason to get it done (so I feel good) if it is safe to do so. So I will be getting the upper arms lipo-ed but leaving my butt alone under Dr. Davidson's advice, which I truly appreciated. I could easily see another plastic surgeon taking advantage of me and doing a procedure that was unnecessary just to increase the total price. But Dr. Davidson said it wasn't necessary, and I wouldn't be happy with the results even if I did do it, which I greatly appreciate. After the consultation while I was getting dressed my boyfriend and I spoke, sharing our impressions and thoughts. We both felt very comfortable with Dr. Davidson and believe he is the right doctor for my realistic expectations. It was very important my boyfriend approved because I always value a second opinion, especially from someone who doesn't have anything to personally gain from this doctor winning him over through charm. After all, it's not my boyfriend's money he's taking (lol!) I scheduled my appointment for Oct. 21st and I will be updating my account here on Real Self with entries as I go. In total I will be receiving a tummy tuck, lipo of the flanks, inner thighs, and upper arms. I have read many entries from other patients and they have truly helped me. If I can help just one person with documenting my experience, then awesome! If not, at least I'll have a running account about my experience to look back upon during those recovery days when I need a pick me up, because from what I've read on here there will be those days occasionally where I'll be feeling quite cruddy or down in the dumps as my body heals slower than I'd like. I'm so excited for this experience and the positive changes it will bring to my life! Technically in a few hours it will be three weeks, but I'm very excited nonetheless! Here are some before pictures I was a bit reluctant to share, but if they help others out there then awesome! 🙂 As the days get closer to my surgery date the more anxious I become. Anxious in a good way, because I can't wait to start healing and have how I look on the outside match how I feel on the inside. But also anxious in a bad way, because I am getting more and more frustrated when I try something on that used to fit and it doesn't anymore. Having been at 140lbs and ballooning back up to 170 (still far away from my max at 215) makes me feel like a complete and utter failure. Weight came off so much easier when I was younger, even though I'm only 29 now. I am so upset I let a speedbump in my life get me down enough to put on those extra 30lbs. I should have seen it as it was happening, but I didn't. But I need to stop living in the past with the "what ifs" and "I should haves" and start living for the "I'm going to succeed!" and "I'm fortunate enough to have this opportunity so I'm going to rock it!" Now that I see there might be another way of living for me, on the flat side, I am so frustrated that I am heavy. I have spent too much of my life living this way, and I currently spend way too much energy thinking about it and letting it get me down. It also makes me want the results RIGHT NOW, which has made me more than a little cranky around my extremely loving, fortunately understanding, and thankfully patient boyfriend. Really, he is too good for me and my recently mopey butt. I appreciate him for putting up with me, and I know some of the days following surgery aren't going to be all sunshine and rainbows (but hopefully most will!) I am trying to prepare him mentally as much as possible, and I am constantly sharing things you brave ladies have gone through and have documented on this site during your darker days, to show him it's perfectly normal and to please not drop me off at the local loony bin. Especially when I freak out about swelling, can't get stubborn tape marks off my tummy, cry over my temporarily funky looking belly button, or when I go stir crazy from being confined to the recliner and can't sleep in our comfy bed, it's all perfectly normal honey, I promise! I also think the closer the date gets the more I think I can't go to the flat side. I've seen such wonderful results on this website, but I can't imagine my body every looking as nice as what you ladies have posted. Even at my lightest I had an overhang of extra skin making me feel disgusting and ugly. To think my body could be transformed into something so beautiful boggles my mind. I can't wrap my head around it. No, I'm not expecting a Barbie doll body, my expectations are realistic, but even those seems so unobtainable. I think I'm scared to get my hopes up because it will hurt too much for them to be let down. It's nothing against my Plastic Surgeon, I know he's one of the best on the Eastern seaboard. I have every confidence in him to successfully complete this surgery and make his patients look like rock stars! I've seen his extraordinary and beautiful results time and time again. It's just for some reason I don't feel like I can shed my ugly duckling exterior. However, if anyone can help me do it, it's Dr. Davidson. After my surgery there are things I'm going to have to learn, and they are things I feel like I have always been struggling with since the start of my weight loss journey. Also, I wanted to update with some pics of me during the beginning of my weight loss journey around 2006/2007 and a pic of me now, because I think it's important to know where I began to keep me motivated and moving forward. 1.) It's ok to have food I enjoy once in a while that isn't extremely healthy, low calorie, and low fat. I admit it, I'm a foodie. I love trying new foods when I go to new places, and occasionally indulge on those dishes we know all too well aren't stellar for our diets (Hello Cheesecake Factory Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes, I'm talking about you!) However, this is not grounds for beating myself up over mentally. It's ok to indulge once in a while. Life is short, enjoy the little things, as long as these treats are once in a while it's ok to enjoy them. 2.) Just because you can't make the gym on a scheduled gym day because of life getting in the way, it's ok. Stop. Breathe. There's always tomorrow. 3.) Female clothing IS NOT consistent in its sizes! 4.) Just because the scale does not reflect your progress, you are building a better you! A stronger, healthier you is being achieved... even if it's not necessarily a lighter you at the moment. 5.) Muscle gain will make the scale number increase, see rule #4. I can't believe I only have 2 more days until surgery! Eep! Wow how time flew! Today I'm cleaning, and tomorrow I'll be grocery shopping and cleaning whatever I don't get to today. I'm pretty sure I have everything I need for recovery supplies, and it's all organized and readily available within reach. I'm 85% excited and 15% nervous. I'm SO excited for the results! I have lots of faith in my doctor and his team, as well as his abilities to do a stellar job! But I'm nervous about the recovery being so long. While I'll be tracking my calories, I'm worried about feeling like I'm gaining weight by doing nothing at all because for at least 4 weeks I can't exercise. I'm also worried about the anesthesia. I think I'm a pretty rationale person, but I have a fear of not waking up from the anesthesia. I know it's such a small possibility of not waking up, but it's an irrational fear I can't completely shake. Alright ladies, I'm off to get my liposuction and TT! Wish me luck! For all of those who have made it over to the flat side, I'll see you there. For those who are still waiting for their appointments, it will be here before you know it. Positive vibes and healing thoughts to all! I made it successfully through surgery! I'm not sure what my tummy looks like yet because the binder was on me when I woke up. I should be able to take it off tomorrow for my first shower but now I understand the fear you ladies speak of when you think about taking the CG off. The surgery was about 4-5 hours, and my doctor removed 7-8lbs of skin and 3 liters by liposuction. I had no idea there was THAT much extra skin. Holy God the pain is bad, even with pain meds as well as a pain buster (which is a pain catheter distributing medicine right to the surgery site. My lipo-ed areas don't seem to hurt, just leaky, especially on my back. I feel fortunate I didn't need my muscles repaired because I can't even fathom the pain that would create. You ladies are tough cookies, whether you had a MR or just a TT! Well, that's all for now, the pain meds are making me sleepy again despite sleeping so much yesterday. Have a wonderful day ladies! So I'm a little more awake and I can start to remember more things I want to write about from my procedure yesterday. First and foremost I wanted to thank all of your wonderful girls who have been chatting with me publicly as well as privately to wish me luck, give me support, answer my questions, send positive vibes, and check in on me. I would have felt so lonely without this community, as well as wicked unprepared. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so warm, welcoming, and wonderful! Next, I should have put this right up front in the last entry; Dr. Davidson and his team were extraordinary. They went above and beyond to make me feel comfortable and they were very professional.. They were very friendly and welcomed any and all questions from myself as well as my boyfriend who was with me until the moment they rolled me into the surgery room. I was given the option to stay awake during the liposuction of my back love handles and I chose to stay awake, because why not? I thought it would be interesting. However, I don't know if it was due to a lack of sleep from the night before, or I'm just a real light weight when it comes to sedation medication, but I was completely knocked out for all of the surgery, from start to end. The next thing I remember is the nurse saying my name to bring me back around and saying someone wanted to see me and my boyfriend walked in. I was so surprised to see I was completely dressed, right down to my shoes! The ride home is tough to recall, except for the pain when we went over bumps. I have an electric lazy boy chair that dumps me out into a standing position, and without that I don't think I'd be able to get up to pee (which I have been doing a lot of.) I don't have much of an appetite nor have I had a BM, but I took colace and had a piece of fiber toast. I might need to get something more extreme if nothing happens tomorrow. The doctor wants me walking around as soon as today, and once I'm in a standing position the pain isn't that bad. I can even do stairs if I take my time. I only have one drain, and I keep emptying every few hours and recording it. Now I know why you ladies hate these things so much! It gets in my way ALL OF THE TIME! I can shower tomorrow and I'm sure it will get in my way then too, but I'm so nervous about taking the CG off! However, it needs to be washed because I bled through it a lot. I also have ace bandages on my arms for the lipo he did there. Oh, did I mention how itchy I am??? I'm SO itchy!!! Partly from the binder and ace bandages, but I think the morphine makes me itchy too. If I muster up the courage to take a shower tomorrow with the boyfriend's help, I can't wait to put a soft shirt or cami beneath my binder for some relief from this itch. I had a hard time believing I was actually doing this right up through the beginning of surgery. It wasn't until I woke up and felt the first pangs of pain that I believed I did it. Never did I think I'd have the opportunity, courage, or support to get this done. I haven't seen the results yet but I'm very proud of myself.. Speaking of proud, I am so freaking proud of my boyfriend who has been taking care of me since the morning of surgery. I'm so lucky to have him, because without him I literally wouldn't be able to go through the recovery, but also the fact he supported my decision to have this procedure was very important to me. He is amazing! Well, that's all for now, I feel the meds kicking in and I'm sure I will fall asleep at the keyboard if I wait another five minutes. Talk to you later ladies! P.S. I'm adding my only pre-op pic as of yet, which my boyfriend took while I was asleep my first night lol. My arms look puffy from the lipo, not complaining, just an observation. So I was able to successfully take my first shower post op, -and it felt so nice to take off the binder for a little while since I've been so itchy! I have even eaten a little more than I have the last two days, but still no BM movements, even with the aide of Milk of Magnesia, Docusate Sodium, fiber bread, and lots of water. Keeping my fingers crossed it will happen soon! On the bright side, I got to see my stomach! It's beautiful and flat, and if it's swollen I'm just too ecstatic to see it! My doctor said it will only get better, OMG! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see the final results in 6-8 months. I'll be sure to take some pics when I shower next. My boyfriend bought me some compression garments to help the lipo on my arms and for casual wear around the house for some extra compression. The poor guy, he was as confused as I was regarding which size I should get. I thought maybe a medium so that's what he went out to buy. But when he brought it home it was too big. He went back out and bought a few smalls and a few extra smalls, and I was floored they fit! Even the extra small! Holy cow! I'll end this entry on that lovely note 🙂 I have only one drain, and it looks like some blood has clotted in the tube. Should I push it (aka "milk it") downward and into the bulb where it collects? Thanks in advance! Day 4 is coming to a close. I am able to walk mostly upright, but there is definitely tightness and pain along the incision, as well as pain in my lower back. Once I'm up and walking I feel great, I'm slower than usual, but I don't feel like I'm in horrible pain which is very nice. Today the place that hurts the most are my inner thighs where I had some liposuction done. They are so darkly bruised as well as swollen, it looks like someone put a grapefruit underneath the skin on each side. My tummy is also upset and very gassy, not sure if that's from the medicine or from all of the fiber I took when I panicked I wasn't pooping. Well I've been pooping since late last night. I've also been staying plenty hydrated and trying to eat, but I frankly have very little appetite. My protein shakes have come in very handy with this. Can one else relate during their first week? I've been doing laps around the house, and I'm thinking if the weather is nice tomorrow I'll go for a walk outside. Oh, and the biggest lifesaver of the recovery process so far is the recliner I rented from Rent-A-Center, it goes up and down with the push of a button. One thing I wish I bought which would be kind of useless now would be the toilet topper that makes sitting and getting up so much easier, but it's not impossible without. Day 5 is coming to a close and today is the best I've felt since the operation. In fact, I am now taking the less intense pain pills, which is great because they don't make me itch or zonk out into nap times throughout the day. For dinner I had a peanut butter and fluff sandwich on fiber one bread as well as an apple, and my tummy feels so full! Such a weird feeling to be full from so little. I will have to remember that and pace myself from here on out since today was the first day I've had an appetite since the surgery. However, I may have done a little too much today. I walked a little bit outside, took a shower, and went to the grocery store with my boyfriend for a few items. I think I should have left one of these tasks for tomorrow because I am definitely sore. I now understand the lower back pain you ladies have spoken of. Time to recline back and watch some t.v., which is probably what I'll be doing until my first post op doctor visit Wednesday with some walking sprinkled in to keep moving and keep the drain flowing. Day 6, nothing big to report. I went for another walk outside today, a little bit further and feeling pretty good, I just have to pace myself. I haven't really felt much pain today, just uncomfortable and pressure on my tummy. Also, if I eat even a bite too much I feel it for hours afterwards. It's so hard to find out where that line is of eating too much because I'm used to such different portions. I'm also happy to say I haven't taken any pain meds today, just Tylenol. Wishing everyone happy healing! Day 8, I made it past a week! WOOT! Today I had my first post op visit with my doctor. Everything went well, and he was very happy with how I'm progressing. Since I have his nurse on speed dial I had very few questions for him. Surprisingly he did not remove my steri strips and replace them with new ones. He said once they fall off by themselves do not cover the incision with anything. Sadly I am still stuck with my one drain since it's still draining more than 25ccs of fluid a day. He said if it's less than 25cc's by Friday I can just pop in to his office to get it removed, fingers crossed! One of my biggest problems is I've recently been itchy. No, itchy is an understatement. More like wanting to sand my skin with sandpaper to relieve the itch type of itchy. My doctor said it means I'm healing and I can take Benadryl to help the itch. I picked some up on the way home as well as some eczema strength lotion and it certainly has helped, but I still have an itch that is mildly irritating. Does anyone have any helpful hints or tricks to relieve my itch? When I itch little red bumps appear, has anyone experienced something similar? He also gave me the ok to sleep in my bed if my body feels like I'm ready to, so as soon as I got home, took my Benadryl and was ready for my nap I gave it a try... success! I'm FINALLY able to lay down in my bed and sleep on my back. While I'm an all over sleepover and miss sleeping on my stomach and side, it's a great start! I've been sleeping, practically living, in my recliner. It was great for the first 5 or 6 days, but these last few days it's been a bit uncomfortable because my back has been a bit sore and the novelty of the chair has worn off lol. My boyfriend affectionately calls it my "throne" but these past few days it's felt more like a torture chamber lol, so it was such a relief to realize my body is ok with laying in bed with pillows for support. I had my drain removed today! What an extremely weird feeling that was!!! It didn't hurt at all, just an extremely weird sensation as I felt it go through my tummy and out. It feels so much better not having it anymore, all of you ladies who still have it don't worry, it will be gone in no time. I also had my tape taken off, it seems my skin was sensitive to the tape and was very red because of it. I didn't notice anything sensation-wise, it just looked red. I still haven't taken a good look at my incission yet, I'm worried it will gross me out lol, but I know I'll have to look once I shower next. Afterwards I want to the mall to walk around a little, get a pair of spanx, and watch the trick or treaters run around with their parents. I'm a little apprehensive of wearing the spanx which go from just beneath my breasts down to mid thigh because my incision is no longer covered with the tape. I'm afraid of it rubbing, because damn are the spanx tight! They are compression garments after all. I'm so worried of it rubbing painfully against the incision, maybe I'll keep the binders on another week before I give these a try. I'm off of my prescription pain medications and I'm just using Tylenol once, sometimes twice, a day. My antibiotic was making me itch like crazy and break out into red bumps everywhere I scratched so my doctor told me to stop taking it. I was able to nap in my bed, but that was when I was extremely tired plus drowsy from Benadryl. When I tried to sleep later that night I couldn't get comfortable and had to retreat to my recliner, sigh. I just can't get comfy laying flat on my back, I need the slight arch of the recliner to relax my back enough to be comfortable to sleep. It's such a disappointment because I miss my bed so much. Eating has been going better for the last couple of days. I have been having "eyes bigger than my tummy" syndrome, so I usually start with a yogurt in the morning, a large lunch which I only eat half of, then eat the other half for dinner, sometimes with a snack in between lunch and dinner. BM's have been regular without the assistance of stool softeners which is awesome. I even tried on some clothes last night to see how they fit post surgery even though I'm still pretty swollen in some areas. I've found my energy increases little by little as each day comes, but I still get exhausted easily. For being 10 days post op I am feeling pretty good! Hi ladies! I'm 11 days into my recovery (is that all? it feels so much longer!) and I'm starting to feel like I'm gaining weight just sitting on my butt healing. We all know 4 weeks is the earliest anyone post op should begin to slowly work out, so how do I stay sane and not think every calorie I eat is adding fat to my body? It can be such a struggle! Another struggle I'm having is probably a silly one, but I still have some dried blood on my incision and belly button. My doctor told me not to scrub, just shower and let the anti bacterial soap suds gently wash over my incision and then let water trickle over. So... how do I get the blood off? Just let it wear off? Thanks in advance for any advice, tips and tricks! Today I am two weeks post surgery! I can't believe it has already been 14 days. I have been able to accomplish so many things since two weeks ago and it's only going to get better, but what I'm most proud of is how I now look at myself with confidence and happiness. I feel like this is a new chapter in my life, almost like a fresh start. I can be the me I've always wanted to be, but never thought possible because I was trapped in my flabby prison that weighed me down mentally and physically day in and day out. I truly feel blessed to have had this opportunity, as well as for the support and love of the very few people I have told about my surgery, the first and foremost being my loving boyfriend. Don't get me wrong, the surgery is not a solve all fix. Once I get the "ok" to work out I definitely have a few areas I want to work on, but for the first time in my life I feel truly happy with myself, and even my boyfriend has seen a difference in me. Thank you ladies for your support, advice, and friendship! Today was my weekly post op appointment, looks like I have another one next week. While all went well and I love how attentive and caring my doctor is, l can't say I won't miss seeing him every 7 days lol. I told my doctor I wanted to fly for the holidays and he said as long as I get compression socks and walk around on the plane every 15 minutes I'll be ok. I hope the TSA doesn't flag me as being suspicious lol! The concern is it's so soon after surgery PLUS I take birth control, and that can lead to blood clots in my legs. Has anyone flown soon after their surgery? If so, how soon? What was your experience? Thanks ladies! Hope everyone is having happy healing experiences!!! Ladies, in your experience, how long will it take until the scale accurately reflects your true weight after surgery? Wow, 3 weeks behind me! I can't believe it! Starting my fourth week I have to remind myself I'm still recovering and have to pace myself because I'm feeling pretty darn good! The scabs along my incision are starting to fall off, but not nearly half of them yet. I'm assuming I have to wait until all of the scabs fall off before I start the scar treatment at least 4 weeks post op. I am so excited to see the swelling go down after 2 months to see what the final results are going to look like, but I am pretty happy with how I look now so anything better is just icing on the cake. With the holidays coming up there are a few things I need to keep in mind; first and foremost not to overindulge in the yummy goodies of the holiday season. After paying so much for this transformation there is no tasty treat that is worth compromising how I feel post surgery. Also travel, whether I take a plane or drive for 6-8 hours, it's not going to be as comfortable as it would be before surgery. If I drive I'll probably have to take a break every two hours to get out and walk around, not ideal but still much better than being stuck in the house post surgery as I have for these past weeks. That's all for now, happy healing ladies! I had a bit of a meltdown today. I have an event I'd rather not miss tonight and it's going to be a lot of sitting down, so I know I can handle it 24 days post surgery. However, when I was trying dresses on I couldn't get any of the ones I really wanted to wear tonight to zip. These were 3 dresses I set aside that were a little too small for me before surgery, and they still didn't want to zip tonight. My loving boyfriend consoled me and asked if he could show me I'm still swollen, which probably explains why the dresses don't zip. I said sure, and he gently poked at me around my body, mainly my back and love handles, and it hurt. The doctor told me if it was still tender to the touch I was still swollen and healing. He was right, I'm still swollen. I just feel so good sometimes I don't understand why my clothes still don't fit. Ultimately I settled on a dress that doesn't have a zipper, and I do notice I look better in it now than pre surgery. I guess I have to work on being patient, but sometimes it's so frustrating! I'm sure some of you understand this post surgery drama that will be a non issue in another 4-6 weeks. It's been one month since my surgery, I can't believe it! I had a particularly large area beneath my new (and lovely) belly button that wasn't healing well along my incision line, so my Doctor decided to remove the scab and re-stitch it, eeeep! That was NOT fun! But as always, he did a great job. Now it's much smaller, and looks so much better. It's still draining blood and puss and smells kind of funky three days later, but he's says it's all normal. It also hurts since my nerves are repairing themselves and are coming back to life, but I still have pain meds left so when it's bad, usually before bed, I take one. Besides that 3 inch area the rest of my incision is healing so well and I'm so happy with how I look! So many of the scabs are falling off, and beneath the scabs it looks so light! I'm so happy with it! I hope to start a scar treatment soon, even if I have to wait to put it over that one area and treat the rest. The only thing I'm kind of grumbly about isn't the pain or the swelling, but the fact my working out has been set back a few more weeks. I was supposed to be able to start today, but because he had to open the incision and stitch it back up I'm a few more weeks away from working out. Le Sigh. I have an idea of my size for tops and sweaters, but my flanks are still too swollen and ache to the touch that I can't even guess what my pant size is. So not too much progress on that aspect, but I hope to know in another month 🙂 Oh, now for something fun; I tried on some kid shirts for boys over the past week as well as a hoodie when I went to Target and they fit lol. I thought that was so funny, and that brightened me up 🙂 Hope all of you ladies are doing well! What have you ladies used (or are using) for scar treatments? I'm almost ready to start and am so excited! I have my period for the second time since my surgery. The first time I was still on pain meds and very swollen so I didn't notice much of a difference. Now that I'm less swollen I noticed a bloating/pressure sensation as well as a physical bloating along my tummy, which I never experienced as a heavier non flat side female since it was hidden by so much extra skin and some fat. Interesting... I'm two months post op tomorrow and I finally feel like I can do almost anything now, except vigorous exercise or swim, two things I really want to do! But I can't complain, I love how I look! However, I'm curious if anyone else still feels tight along their scar line when they lay down on their side or tummy? It's tight for me and a little uncomfortable, but it quickly goes away and I can sleep in any position I want. Anyone else experiencing this tightness after 60 days? While I fully endorse that the TT I had 2 months ago is a starting point and not an end result, I looked in the mirror today and felt for the first time that I am in the body I'm supposed to be in, finally! Having that boost of optimism and self confidence will help increase my motivation to work out and eat well in 2015 as I take this year to work on me! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and healing 2015! I'm nearly 5 months out from my surgery, and while I'm loving my body, I'm curious if anyone has scar pain this far out or even further? It only happens when I wear jeans and the waist band rubs against the scar. It is such a horrible pain and burning feeling, but goes away as soon as I put on something that doesn't rub. Anyone else experience this? So at 5 months in I am flat in the morning, and bloated before bed, especially if it's a high activity day. When can I expect to be flat 24/7? Thanks ladies! Hope everyone is doing fabulous, and happy healing! I took the boyfriend's nieces to a trampoline park, and it was SO nice to have my extra skin around tummy GONE and not jumping with me. OMG it felt so amazing! I would have been too self conscious to have jumped on the trampolines with them and would have watched from the sidelines before this surgery, but I am so thankful I had the surgery and can live my life without hesitation! I'm 10 months post op and my tummy is still looking great! As usual it looks best in the morning and is a little puffy by bedtime, but not nearly as puffy as it was in the first few months. I am using silicone strips to help reduce the scar, but I'm not sure if the 5 I purchased (each lasting about 2 weeks) will be enough to reduce it to my satisfaction, which sucks because they're expensive! I'm trying to lose weight in other areas to tone up and look better all over, but the weight isn't coming off as easily as post op. Maybe it's also because I just turned the big 3-0 and my metabolism isn't as great as it was when I lost a lot of weight around 25? Any other ladies have experience with the challenge of losing weight after your tummy tuck?