My Tummy Tuck

It’s been a whole year now since I had my surgery, I don’t know where the time has gone, it feels as though I have always had my tummy tuck now and when I look back at the pre-op photos I can’t believe that’s how my tummy used to look; I look so much different now and feel so much better in myself. I was hoping to have lost a few pounds since my last update but as you can see that hasn’t happened – Christmas got in the way with over-eating and drinking but I have now started the new year with a focused mind and by my next update I will have lost those a few pounds.

As you can see my scar, in my opinion, doesn’t look much different from three months ago although I do find it hard to be objective and it does look different in different light. The middle part of the scar was always the part that had most of the redness and towards the edges it does look like it has faded a lot which is a good sign. I hope that within the next 6 months to a year my scar will have faded completely – I need to be more patient!!

I have a lot of emails and comments on my Youtube Channel about the width of my scar and whether it is worth getting a tummy tuck – what I say is that this is a huge decision that will affect your life and it is a decision that needs to be thought about very carefully, you will not be able to move very much at the beginning. In my opinion for me it was worth it and was the right decision, it was worth having the long scar in place of the apron of skin that hung down – it was less about the weight loss as such and more about the way my tummy looked and the apron of skin. I hope that this blog and my videos help you make the decision and it may be that some of you decide that you are happy to live with your tummy the way it is and to lose a few pounds instead.

It has now been 9 months after my tummy tuck operation and I went to see my surgeon today as I am still concerned about the redness of my scar, it is still very red and very thick and not what I would have expected after 9 months of the surgery. When I went into the surgeon’s office the first thing he asked me to do was to jump on the scales and since I have had my tummy tuck operation I have put on 2kg as you can probably see from the video. He then looked at how my scar was healing and he didn’t seem to be concerned with the redness – he felt all along the scar line to make sure there weren’t any lumps or bumps and he said it was all fine and smooth and there is nothing to be concerned about and the redness is absolutely normal and part of the healing process. It will end up looking like a fine stretch mark but this could take up to another year or so.

It has been 8 months now since I had my tummy tuck. I thought the scar looked red before, but nothing can prepare you for how much worse it gets before getting better!

This picture shows you how thick and red my scar has become, you may be surprised to know that it has actually started to improve in the last month!

Recently I have noticed that the upper part of my belly button scar is beginning to fade, as well as the areas towards the outer edges of my main scar.

I was advised to keep the scar areas moisturised well and to massage any lumpy areas to aid healing. I apply E45 cream after showering; this has stopped the area becoming dry and flaky. There are a number of scar treatment therapies available and it really is a case of trying them out and seeing what works best for your skin type and scar.

When my scar began to thicken and look very red and angry, I did begin to panic and think that it might not ever fade, now that it has started to improve I am feeling much more confident that it will just be a thin white line eventually. I am looking forward to posting a picture of my scar nicely healed and breathe a sigh of relief.

It has been 4 months now since I had my tummy tuck procedure. I have been advised to massage my scar line daily to help with the healing process and to flatten any small lumps out. I have been using E45 cream as it is non-perfumed and therefore should not irritate the area.

I have noticed that my scar now looks far worse than it did to start with! I have been told by my nurse that this is normal and that with all scar healing the area can look worse before it starts to fade and flatten out.

Initially when I had the operation I took Nelsons Homeopathic Arnica tablets to help bring the bruising out and also drank pure pineapple juice to aid the healing. This proved very helpful and I healed very quickly with no problems. I was up and mobile in no time at all.

Before my tummy tuck I had been running regularly for exercise and eating healthy foods, but since my tummy tuck I have not been exercising at all and have let some old bad eating habits creep back in.

No surprise really that I have gained a lot of weight which I need to nip in the bud before it gets out of hand!

In the past I did well with Weight Watchers but I recently tried their new programme and failed miserably at losing any weight at all.

I have been reading a fantastic book called New Abs Diet for Women, which gives a brand new perspective on healthy eating and power foods.They believe that most diets do not work as they are just short term fixes.

You can rev up your metabolic rate just by eating the correct foods. Adding muscle to your body through weight training will also help you burn fat.

I have to look at losing weight as a lifestyle change and go back to healthy eating and regular exercise.

It’s been three weeks now since my tummy tuck operation. In the past week I have been healing well, at the weekend my scar was itching like crazy but by Monday most of the scabs had fallen off and the itching then stopped.

My scar looks very red now that the scabs have gone, this is normal and I have been advised that the appearance of the scars can actually worsen during the first three to six months as they heal. It normally takes nine months to a year before scars flatten out and lighten in colour.

I went to see my nurse on Monday as once the scabs had fallen off I noticed that I had another overgrowth of skin which I wanted removed. After examining the area the nurse advised me that it wasn’t an overgrowth as I thought but just a bit lumpy which sometimes happens and would settle down over time. After I insisted that the lump would really annoy me she then removed it for me any way, which I was pleased about.

Sleeping has been the worst part of my recovery. It has improved a lot this week. I can sleep on my side now without any pain although I am still aware that I am bruised.

This week I have noticed that my scar area is now pain free, however the area between my scar and my belly button feels very bruised and tender to touch.
I have been doing much more this week including dancing and vacuuming the house, possibly too much? I’m not sure if this is why I am feeling so bruised, I felt fine at the time.

This is now my last week wearing my corset and I will be glad to take it off and start to wear more fitted clothes.

Two weeks have now passed since I had my tummy tuck surgery. I’ve had a really good week and just getting back to feeling normal has been lovely. Simple things like walking my children to school or driving to the supermarket have felt good.

My ability to stretch up, bend over and walk tall indicates that I must be healing well. The only time I have felt any pain has been on a couple of nights where I have been laying on one side for too long, due to this occurring I made the decision to try my best to sleep on my back.
Today I went to see the nurse for my 2 week check up, she asked me how I’ve been feeling and removed my dressings, immediately I could see that the wound has healed very well, my tummy button looks much better and the swelling has come down a little bit already.

One area along the wound was bleeding a tiny bit where a scab had been pulled off, my nurse investigated the area and realised that it was due to a small over growth of skin, which she then cut off with a sharp blade. This procedure only took a second and did not hurt. Pulling the skin together she quickly placed a tape stitch across the area, trimmed any stitches and cleaned my wounds. Now I am able to let the air get to my wounds and take a shower. (Yippee!!)
The nurse advised me to keep wearing my girdle for another 2 weeks in the daytime and remove at night.
I will need to see my nurse again in 4 weeks time to make sure all is well; in the meantime if I get a problem I can phone and make an earlier appointment.

It’s hard to believe that this picture was me two weeks ago, words cannot describe how amazing it feels to have such a flat tummy with a nipped in waist. For the first time in years I feel sexy!!

One week has passed since I had my tummy tuck surgery. I am really pleased with my recovery so far, I took anti-biotic tablets for the first 3 days and pain killers. I have been sitting with my feet up all week doing very little. I have been using myV Shaped Luxury support pillow, the same one I used when I was breast feeding and this has been a god send in helping me to get comfy.

For the first time today I feel a lot more upright and want to do more, as I travel to see my nurse I am beginning to get nervous which is surprising as I had no nerves prior to surgery. Reception greets me as I arrive and comment that my posture is very good for only 1 week post surgery. The nurse leads me upstairs to the surgery, she asks me how I’ve been and advises me to carry on taking it easy over the next week, she then reads me the surgeons notes about my tummy tuck and lets me know that the whole tummy tuck procedure went well and that the surgeon removed 1.150kg of flesh (about 2.5lb) which is quite a lot. She then proceeds to take my temperature and blood pressure. Next the nurse removes my dressings, I was expecting this to hurt but it just tickled like mad. Under the dressings was more tape which covered the stitches – she then removed these which also really tickled.

Once these were removed I could see the extent of the scars I now have, the cut was wider than I had imagined and looked like something out of a horror movie! However I could see now that I only have one stretch mark left which used to be above my belly button and now is positioned underneath. The tummy button itself just looks weird at the moment it is really raised and lumpy looking, the nurse has reassured me that it is just the swelling at the moment and this will settle down in time. It can take up to 3 months for all the swelling to come down so I will just have to wait and see. The nurse kindly took a picture for me to show my family and I have just kept staring at it ever since in disbelief that my tummy is so flat. Cleaning and then spraying iodine onto my wounds felt a bit odd but not painful.

The nurse then replaced the dressings, she gave me a new appointment for one week’s time and then I was ready to leave.

Although my wounds look a bit horrible at the moment I am super happy that I went through with the tummy tuck as having a nice flat tummy feels lovely and in time my scars will fade.

My tummy tuck is happening today! This feels like a dream…….

I stopped eating last night so this morning I am feeling a bit hungry. It is 7am so I have just drank my last glass of water before my surgery. The taxi has arrived on time; my overnight bag is packed with pyjamas, slippers, wash things and my favourite book. I say my good byes to my husband and children then I am on my way. We travel from Southampton to London in about 2 hours chatting all the way. I was pleased we got there early for my 9.30am admission. I am feeling really thirsty and hope it won’t be too long until I go down to surgery.
I am greeted by reception and taken to my room which feels nice and spacious it has a un-suite bathroom and large T.V. on the wall.
A nurse comes in to take my blood pressure, temperature and measures me for stockings to wear during surgery. She promptly returns with them, a hairnet, underwear and gown to put on for surgery.

I quickly get changed remove all jewellery and take pictures of myself looking funny in this outfit.
A different nurse comes in to take blood from me; this is for extra if I need a blood transfusion and to double check for anaemia and blood group.
The anaesthetist comes in to talk me through his procedure and explains that he will put me to sleep through a needle in my hand, he tells me that side effects are rare now and that he will do his very best to keep me comfortable and safe. He also checks if I am allergic to anything.

My surgeon comes in to draw his lines on my tummy and to reassure me that everything will be fine. Now I just need to wait until the theatre is ready for me.

11.30am the theatre is now ready for me; I am really thirsty and tired as I did not sleep much last night. I am taken up stairs in a lift with the anaesthetist and I am really excited to get started with the next step. I am surprised that I feel no nerves at all I just can’t stop grinning.
When I arrive upstairs I am met by another nurse who asks me a few questions to make sure I am the correct person and then I go into the theatre. As I walk in I am shocked at how massive the room is with a bed and huge light above, I lie down on the bed and the anaesthetist puts the needle into my hand, as I look away the nurse holds my other hand in support. The needle only felt like a scratch as I turned to look at what he did he said to me ‘ok you will be going to sleep soon’ I replied ‘oh, ok night night then’ as I said the words I felt a warm sensation go up my arm and to my cheek then I was asleep……

It felt like two minutes had passed when I found myself sat up in a different room with a nurse taking my blood pressure. I remember saying ‘is it done?’ and she nodded, as I looked down I could already see my tummy was flat.

The surgeon then came over to me rubbed my tummy and said ’it all went beautifully your tummy is nice and flat now’ I thanked him and in a flash he was gone and I think I went back to sleep.
As I woke up again I was back in my room a nurse was checking my drip which had fluids in and my drain which had blood coming out of it.

I was offered tea and biscuits which were very welcome as it was now 2pm and I hadn’t eaten since the night before.
I then had my lunch brought to me which I chose when I arrived in the morning. Mostly I was thirsty and made my way through a jug of water. The nurses kept checking me every hour doing my blood pressure and temperature. I just sat and read my book fell back to sleep read my book again. Dinner was at 7pm which is what I requested as I had my lunch late. The food was very good and the homemade lasagne was really tasty. After lunch I needed to use the bathroom and I had a little giggle when two nurses came to my aid one for each arm! I was grateful they helped me because as I walked across the room I went a little bit dizzy and was glad to be seated on the toilet. They left the room and said to shout when I was finished. They were a bit shocked when I made my way back to bed with no help. They had cleaned the bed for me which was nice as there had been quite a lot of blood on it.
I slept and read on and off all night with lots of cups of tea in between. The night nurse suggested that I probably should have no more tea as the caffeine was keeping me awake and I should be sleeping not reading! (Naughty girl!) At about 3am the nurse removed my drip from my hand hoping this might be more comfortable so I could sleep. It did feel better to have it out.

At about 6 am she woke me up and said that she needed to remove my drain as the blood had stopped coming out now. Removing the drain was the worst part of the whole procedure it felt totally weird as it was pulled along my wound and slithered its way out as she pulled yuk! I was glad that was over. The nurse then removed my stockings and fitted me with a corset, she also provided me with a smaller corset to wear in two weeks time. Now I had the freedom to move around a little easier. I went to the bathroom and washed ready for breakfast at 7am, this was a light breakfast for travelling of a croissant and honey and a nice cup of tea. After breakfast I dressed myself and packed my bag ready to go home. The taxi collected me at 8am the chauffer was very nice to me she carried my bag and told me off for trying to carry it myself. The nurses and staff were all amazing people they kept telling me I must rest and do nothing for at least the first week.

I have an appointment made to see my nurse in one week’s time, she will change my dressings and I will get to see what my wounds and belly button look like. I am very interested to see how my belly button looks as my friend said that her friend who had a tummy tuck had a weird looking outy belly button, mine has always been an inny so I will have to wait and see…….

I spoke to my co-ordinator today and asked her to book me in for my tummy tuck at the next available date. She got back to me with an appointment for the following week; in the meantime I have had a nurse appointed to me who will be taking care of me from now on until I am completely healed.

I visit my nurse the same day at the clinic; she goes through a health questionnaire with me, and then explains to me what will happen when I get to the hospital. 6 hours prior to my admission time I must stop eating and only drink water. 2 hours prior to my admission time I must stop drinking as well. Prior to surgery I must not take any aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs as these can thin the blood.

Smoking can seriously hinder your recovery you must give up 2 days before surgery and up until you are completely healed if you do not hospitals can refuse to do your surgery. Alcohol must also be stopped 2 days prior to surgery.

General anaesthetic will be given to me via a drip in my hand; once I am asleep I will be given oxygen through a tube which will be put down my throat, I have been warned that I may have a sore throat because of this. Anaesthesia can give you constipation so I was advised to take laxatives for this after surgery as you need to avoid extra pressure on your tummy muscles due to straining. I will have pain relief tablets to take home and anti-biotic tablets to help with healing for 3 days, my nurse also suggested taking a herbal tablet to help reduce swelling and bruising called Arnica.

Long haul flights should be avoided for 12 weeks. This is due to the increased risk of deep vein thrombosis and you will need to wear surgical stockings during and after surgery until you are up on your feet.

I must wear a tight corset for a month; the first two weeks I will need to wear it day and night and the following two weeks at night only. The reason for this is to minimise any swelling and bruising.

Showers and baths are not allowed for 2 weeks as you must keep the wound clean and dry. My stitches should be completely dissolved after this time so I should be able to shower on the 3^rd week. Bathing is not advised until my wound is completely healed as sitting in dirty water could cause an infection.

Driving should usually be ok within two or three week’s dependant on how quickly I heal.

My nurse then took blood from me which is to make sure I am not anaemic and to identify my blood group. She then took my blood pressure and temperature to make sure that I am well enough for major surgery. Finally she took several pictures of my tummy as ‘before’ photographs for her file. I am now very excited about my surgery and can’t wait for the next stage.

I have dreamed of getting a tummy tuck for about four years, I am 36 years old and have three gorgeous children all by caesarean section; this has left me with an overhang of skin which can be referred to as an apron, and lots of stretch marks.

Lots of you will be like me so I would like to share my tummy tuck journey with you.

I have arranged to meet my surgeon today. Once entering the clinic I am greeted by the patient co-ordinator she directs me to the coffee machine then I go upstairs to the surgeons office, Straight away I feel I can trust him as he begins to ask me general health questions and my expectations of surgery. As he examines my tummy by tugging and prodding my excess flesh I can’t help but feel total embarrassment. To my surprise he then promptly begins to draw lines on my tummy to show me where the cuts will be made and how much flesh will be removed. I sit back at his desk feeling happy that part is over. The surgeon now shows me photographs of before and after examples of some tummy tucks he has done that are similar to me. He tells me that I am healthy and thinks I do not require liposuction or tightening of the muscles as I have good muscle tone and sometimes if you tighten up the muscles unnecessarily in time you can have a pulled effect as the muscles part again and the stitches pull tight. He concludes that he will be happy to be my surgeon and jokes he can do it tomorrow if I want. I go home very happy at the thought of having a nice flat tummy.