That's Fit

Join me as I search my soul for direction regarding my latest pursuit: A tummy tuck. Will I go through with it? Will I "Tuck It In?" Keep reading. Keep coming back. And you'll find out.

March 30, 2008

I knew when I first starting dreaming of a tummy tuck that I'd need to talk with several people who had already received the procedure. I can't go into anything blindly. I need information, opinions, real-world stories. As soon as I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was scouring the Internet for journals and blogs -- anything that would allow me to peek into the lives of women who did battle with this disease before me. It's no different now. If you've had a tummy tuck, I want to hear about it.

My plastic surgeon's coordinator, a tummy tuck graduate herself, gave me the names and numbers of two former patients. I talked with them yesterday. The offered me some pretty good stuff.

Both said right off the bat that they'd have the surgery again, it's that spectacular and life-changing. There were no complications for these women, one of them 50 years old; the other older than 50. Both are a year out now, wearing pants that actually fit their bodies and not just their tummies. Both overwhelmingly recommended the surgery, despite the few drawbacks.

My new tummy tuck friends both said the first week post-surgery is very tough. There will be pain, they said, and it will be hard to get up and down. One recommended a raised potty seat -- I'm in luck: I have access to one. One of the women advised me to stay ahead of the pain by taking meds before it gets too bad. The other said she only took a pill -- a ¼ of a pill really -- when the pain was too much to take.

Drains, in place for about one week after surgery to allow for drainage of excess fluid, will be cumbersome, say these gals. Since they need to be emptied every three or four hours, it can be quite a task. Sleeping in a recliner was recommended for the first few days. Laughing, coughing, and sneezing will apparently be a chore. Help is a necessity, at least for the first night or two. And I'm likely to be fully functioning after just two weeks. Both of these women were back to full-time work within two weeks.

What these women shared with me is so very valuable. No doctor could have prepared me like those who've been in the trenches. There's just something about the power of people -- people who've been there -- to help prepare us for the journeys we take in life.

For more "been there" health stories, check out Trusera.com, an online network of people sharing health experiences so others can benefit.

NOTE: Abdominoplasty is recommended for those whose skin and muscle cannot recover on their own as a result of significant weight loss, pregnancy, aging, heredity, or prior surgery. It is not a substitute for weight loss or an appropriate exercise program. For more information about this surgery, click here