New Pictures..week 3 post surgery

Week 3...healing is coming along well. Swelling is beginning to calm down. Just applied moisturizer...skin is so-o-o dry.

Breasts are doing well. Perfectly even. I don't know how he did it..but he did. Thank you, Dr. Baker.

Side view...not my favorite shot. It is a bit deceiving, but I am taking the pics by myself...waist is down to a 29.

Yes, I am still faithfully wearing the compression garment. I just put it on following my shower. It is shown with just the hooks, before zipping up. They don't call it a compression garment for nothing...notice my but is missing...

From this angle you can see the swelling that is still present. I like my new belly button. Both the TT incision and the BB incision still have scabbing taking place...but it is healing so well.

I went outside today for the first time to get some walking in. My husband went with me to make sure I didn't have any problems. I started out slow walking and quickly found myself wanting to run, run, run like the wind...but I did not. Well, I didn't run, but I did do fast walking and light jogging....I couldn't help it...between Santana, Freebird and The David Matthews Band...I was in the zone....can't wait til tomorrow. I am feeling great!!!

Two Week check up.

Wow, it's hard to believe it's been two weeks already...well 2 weeks tomorrow anyway. Today I go to Dothan to have Dr. Baker check my incisions and remove the stitches. I will have some pics to post when I get back. 

My stomach is healing beautifully as far as I can tell. I experience only the occasional mid discomfort. For the most part the area is still numb...and speaking of numb, my upper right leg continues to be hypersensitive. Sure hope that will go away. I still have swelling in my hips, but I know this will go down over time. I have to say, I am looking forward to getting back into my jeans again.

I was feeling really good yesterday so I decided to go to Walmart with my daughter and get some grocery shopping done. Less than half way through the shopping, I was wishing I had waited a few more days. It's strange...you THINK you are ready. You even rationalize it, BUT....oh, I was so glad to get home and sit in that recliner. I suppose there is a reason they say that recovery is approx. 6 weeks.

10 days since my surgery

Wow! Last night I slept on the couch and was able to straighten out for the first time. Another first was sleeping through the night. I woke up refreshed.  I have no help today so I am going to try to do a few minor things like wash out my second compression garment so that I can shower, then..shower. The showers feel sooo good.
I did make one critical error while planning out this surgery, and that was my hair. I should have had it done BEFORE my surgery. Damn! Now it's driving me crazy. Do you know how hard it is going to be to get an appointment, in December, right before Christmas? Forgetaboutit! Like most women, I have one person that does my hair. Oh well.
I keep telling myself I am hungry and am going to eat something, but here it is 2:00pm and all I have had is 2 cups of coffee this morning.
Sinder is coming over after work, maybe I can talk her into bringing me a little somethin' somethin'.
Tommie, Lori, Susan...thanks so much for your words of encouragement and to everyone else that I know is reading this blog but is not technically a follower or doest post any comments. Whats the matter? Got nothin to say?...LOL. Not likely. Very few of MY friends have nothing to say.

Back to me...My stomach is as flat as a board and just as hard. However, it is still completely numb. I have, and have had since day one of the surgery, hypersensitivity to the right hip that continues all the way down my right leg to the knee. The Dr. said I was in the 1% of people who experience this not so nice side effect from the lipo. Great! Air blowing past the right leg is painful, in an odd sort of way. Hopefully, over time this will resolve itself. ( Why can't I be the 1% that wins the lottery or power ball or something?)
The stretch marks that I had below my belly button are completely gone...AND, the cute, little mole that was right next to my natural belly button has now been pulled down to my pelvic area. Way "kewl"! I still have it!

I have an appointment to have my stitches removed on Monday at 1:45. Yippee! Then, I believe I have a break from Dr's follow-up appts. Dr. Baker and his staff have been wonderful.

Still have a hard time breathing in this barbaric corset/compression garment....but I must be doing ok, I am still among the living. As far as my weight, it is down a little bit. I went into this at 153.4. I am 148.6 now. I knew I would lose a pound or two as a result of the excision of fat and tissue, so that is about right. I have been drinking plenty of water...all day, every day and have a minimal salt intake. Boy, oh boy do I miss my running and my workouts? (did I say that out loud?) but, in fact, I do. Following my next Dr's visit, I am pretty sure I can start my walking again....but walking ONLY and for short amounts of time. Looks like I will have to build up my endurance all over again..that's ok. I will get back up to 5, 6, 7 miles again before I  know it.

Well til later....

One week since my surgery...

Well, I am back....sorry for the delay with my postings, but there was a family emergency and that had to be resolved first, and no, "I" was not the emergency. We are prayerful that now all is well. We will know for sure today.

Although spending 6 hours in a cold, uncomfortable emergency room..with emotions and fear flip flopping all over the place can be hard on anyone, having just had surgery made it that more arduous. It's amazing really, how wonderful our bodies are and how they manage to kick it up a notch, beyond what we think we are able to endure, when an emergency arises.

Following the endorphin rush.. came the crash. Once home, I was able to get back into my power-lift chair and take a dose of Robaxin and Celebrex...only then, was I able to exhale. Following the exhale came many hours of sleep.

The putting up of the above pictures have been driving me crazy...sorry, I can't seen to get them in order. So, for sanity's sake, let me describe each one as they appear from top to bottom.

#1. My drains...I had 4 of them. One in each axilla/underarm area, then 2 in pubic mound, bilaterally. They are designed to pulled the excess fluid build up from the body. I had to pour out the fluid every 10-12 hours, and record the quantity in ml's. This record was to be given to the doctor at my follow-up to determine if the drains were ready to be removed.

#2. This is my compression garment. I cannot even begin to describe to you, how tight it is. The garment was put on immediately following the removal of my drains at the doctors follow-up visit, 6 days following my surgery. It did NOT go on easily. As a matter of fact, I just looked at the nurse like she was absolutely out of her mind. How did she plan on getting that tiny garment on the horrible swollen body. The answer...force. As she attempted to make the two sides reach each other to be fastened and then zipped, it was clear to me, that I needed a bigger size....or so I thought. As she was attempting to harness me into this garment, I found myself pushing away, so she asked that my husband "BALANCE" me. What she meant was...hold on to her and keep her from moving till I get this thing on. Once on, I asked how it was I was suppose to breathe. I seems I could take a full breath. Within a couple seconds, I noticed that this garment was in fact comfortable. The question was, how the heck am I suppose to put this thing on by myself..and the answer was, I could not. It was simply impossible at this stage of my recovery, to do so. And why is it, that the minute she got that garment on me, I had to go to the bathroom. Hummm? I guess this thing works. Still can't breathe. Six weeks I have to wear this...24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the exception of showers. My hope is, that as my swelling goes down, this garment will become tolerable, but as of today...not so much.

#3. My new belly button. Actually, I am very happy with this. This picture was taken just after I got home. Those little dimply looking things or folds in the skin worried me at the time, but as of today they are gone. So glad.

#4. OK, folks..this is the only picture they took in the operating room, much to my dismay. What we have here are the implants that they removed from me..if you look at the implant on the right, which is actually the implant from my left side, you will see it is flattened, dimpled and surrounded by a gelatinous substance. That "substance" was found throughout my chest. You see, when implants, or any foreign object, is placed in the body, the body forms a lining around it. This is known as a capsule. Over time, or even right away in some people, this capsule can contract because it is fibrous, and cause the implant to squeeze. Thus, the implant becomes hard. This is called capsule contracture. In my case, they had to do a capsulectomy and not only remove the implants, but excise the capsule also, and that is what you see in the picture just below the implants. I so appreciate my doctor for doing such a wonderful job. This is why my 5 hour surgery ended up taking 9 hours. The implant that you see on the left, was actually the implant from my right side. This was my painful side. The side that started all this. It was the side that was most disfigured and I have to tell you, that the doctor, having looked at that picture with me said he wished there had been a few other angles taken of that implant, because it was by far worse than the other... the picture however, did not capture that...Oh well.

#5. This again, is my compression garment. Actually, the white is my bra and the compression garment starts, right beneath the breasts. Did I mention that I can't breathe? The little white things at the bottom of the garment is just gauze pads placed over the holes where the tubing from the drains came out.

#6. Yeah, this one is a little raw. My left hip. Yes, the incision goes from hip to hip...and will shrink and fade over time. In this picture you can see why some movements are limited. That other mark is where the skin was pulled from by lower back as the nurses removed some kind of foam padding from my back following the surgery. That sun of a gun has pretty much heal up also. That one reminded me of road rash....stinging.

#7. This is another of the pics from before the drains were removed. The picture is a bit deceiving. The bellybutton looks like there is an incision from it, down to the large, incision, but there is not. It does go up maybe 1/2" though. I am so very swollen in this picture. My hips look huge. It is not uncommon, so have read, for people who have this surgery, to because depressed around days 4 or 5. Second guessing themselves even, as to why they did this to themselves. What have I done? Will this ever look right? I know to keep my eye on the prize. I know that healing takes time...that is one of the reasons I started this blog. I had to redirect my thinking, my thoughts.

#8. This is just a picture of me with all the dressings on....

Like I said the pics are all out of order, but there you have them.

Today is Thursday and I am feeling wonderful. No Robaxin since yesterday morning. They are all gone. Only thing left to take is my last two Celebrex. Walking is getting a bit easier. I can shower on my own now...WOW!! that is huge. Since I can't bend over, shaving my legs is difficult and spotty, but for right now, I don't give a rip.

This has been one HELL of a week for my whole family...sometimes, sad and unfortunate things just seem to happen all at once. This week, was one of those times. I thank God we were able to get through it relatively unscathed. Enjoy every day...make your choices wisely and always walk away from your difficult situations with something positive.

So Far, So Good.

Well the past few days have been a challenge. Just sitting for the most part, the many, many short walks from the bathroom and back, the constant showering and dressing changes.the occassional anti-inflammatory and that's it. One thing I have learned...TV really stinks.

I believe I am healing up well, but tomorrow's follow-up with Dr. Baker will let me know for sure. I am hoping he will remove all these drains, but.. they are still collecting quite a bit...so I will have to wait and see.

The pain from the augmentation/repair is practically non-existant. The pain from the hip to hip incision is a bit strange...there really isn't any. It's still all numb...an odd feeling really. I am still quite swollen at this point but just in the hips, Lord, I can't wait for that to go down. Incisions are all healing well, I am walking better, however, I am still somewhat bent over. I have learned the feeling of constant back spasming...

One thing I have learned that I absolutely DON'T want to do is....cough, OMG! and what do you think I manage to do a couple times a day...that's right. Oh, that hurts like HELL! I have tried the pillow trick..it doesn't work. So, after each bout of muffeled coughing, I take my Robaxin and that helps. I have only taken the Lorcet Plus, twice. It really wasn't needed more than that.

I have to say another big thank you to my family..they are all doing such a good job taking care of me.

I believe the doctor said he had a picture for me from the surgery. If he does, I will put it up tomorrow night.

I think that's it for today, I'm feeling a bit tired. I will post again tomorrow.

I really miss my running.

<>All this stuff leads up to the need for this stuff.

Ronda had a little "episode" the night before last and try as she might to make enough noise to wake someone in the house up; her efforts went unnoticed. She handled the situation.... Ok Ok...Ok....the situation is that when she was getting up from the toilet, the bottom part of her robe fell in the toilet and she was stuck in a bent over position with toilet water dripping down her legs. Not funny. ( actually I reserve comment) (silently lmao)

So, she now has an alarm of sorts. It's an empty can of soda with lots of coins in it. Let me tell ya.......when she shakes THAT thing, you WILL wake up. lolo

I brought her over some scrambled eggs toast and ginger-ale. That ginger ale is a God-send for upset stomachs. She managed to eat part of the eggs but when eating the toast a little piece of bread got lodged in her throat. Nothing major, but enough to make her have to clear her throat and cough a couple times. Coughing is NOT something you want to do much of immediately after you've been sliced and diced. She took a pain pill and started to feel a little better.

She is already getting around much better. Still has the Mrs. AHAWIGGINS going on though !

Today, I am making organic chicken soup for her.

Ok, our parents picked up Ronda today and brought her home. How supportive is THAT? I was just leaving my house to go to Ronda's when my parent were pulling in. Whew !!! Might I take this opportunity to say ?: SO YOU WANNA BE A PERRING? Hah !
Ronda was tired and had the ole' "narcotic itch" going on. She was coherent enough to let me take pictures and chat for a bit. ( I suspect she won't remember any of it).

Although I made her some 15 bean soup, she opted for 1/2 of a bagel and water. She had not eaten a single thing in 3 days. She ran me ragged, I tell ya. It's too cold in here, I am not comfortable, I have to pee, this pillow is not soft enough, this one is too hard. She walks like MRS. HAWIGGINS from the Carol Burnett show. lmao !

Ya know what's cool though about being a Perring? She never REALLY complained. Not about anything that had to do with any pain.

After chatting I realized what dire consequences she could have suffered if she had NOT had her breasts repaired.

Also, I must note what a help her daughter has been through all of this. Angela? --way to go......Here's some pics.....Again, I ask, so YOU WANNA BE A PERRING?

I spoke to Ronda today. She was in surgery much longer than anticipated. Almost 9 hours !!! Both of the old implants had ruptured over time and much of the implant was incapsulated into the breast tissue. Bit and pieces everywhere. It was a far more serious procedure than anticipated.
She is very sore but so happy to have the issue resolved. Because of the extensive damage, there may be a chance that insurance will cover it. She'll check on that once she's feeling better.

She had the cathader removed and was able to get up and shower, which likely hurt, but felt great at the same time.

She comes home tomorrow and that's the day I become slave to a bell. LOL Oh Dear Lord, someone help me ! I have to cook for her.....ME !!! COOK !!!! Oh, if you only knew how funny this is.

Ronda down for the count and having to eat Sinder's cooking. Poetic justice at it's very best !!!

Out of Surgery

I am writing for Ronda as I am told by her husband that the surgery went well. She is resting right now and boy is she going to need the rest. She will stay tonight and tomorrow night and then return home Thursday. Updates to follow ! :)

Update.....7:00 pm, she's out cold but somehow managed to open her mouth to suck on a popsicle. NOTHING can keep her from those damn popsicles ! :)

8 hours till I check in....

I can hardly believe that I leave for the hospital in 5 hrs. I am feeling surprisingly calm. I have everything ready and everything is done...with the exception of one last shower before I leave.

Just took my Celebrex and 2 Robaxin as I was directed. I had a light dinner and now I wait. We will leave the house approximately 2:30am in order to be at the hospital by 5:00.

I am comforted knowing that I was able to find and borrow a power lift chair for a few weeks. My many thanks to Tammy and her mother Theresa for making that possible.

Well, as promised and with a bit of apprehension, I have posted my BEFORE pics. I said that I would be making myself vulnerable...and I have.

I work out very hard and often, but no matter what I do or for how long I do it, I am at the point where nothing else will change...not in the stomach area anyway. I will continue to work out, once I am healed...

As far as the breasts, I am looking forward to no longer having pain and discomfort. So, more than anything, I pray that my doctor, Dr. L. Dwight Baker does what he does so well and that is reconstructing the damage in my chest and giving a stomach that I can not be happy with. I do not have unreasonable expectations...I know and understand that I am no longer 20 years old.

Sinder will be posting on here for me from time to time AND adding some pictures along the way until I am able. Thanks again, Sin.

My surgery time is appox. 5 1/2 hrs. Lord watch over me, keep me safe and guide the hands of my doctors.

2 more days before Surgery

Well, Thanksgiving and all that goes with it, is now part of the past..PHEW! We made it.


I ate exactly as I had expected...EVERYTHING, non-stop. That's just the way it is in an Italian home. The only OTHER thing I think I did as much as eating while I was there, were the dishes..and that was just to prepare for the next meal. I was glad to do it. I have found, however, that I just can't eat like that anymore. It's sad really, because the food is so absolutely over-the-top delicious, that your mouth still wants more, while your stomach feels that it was going to explode.

I was careful, and made sure that I got my running in while I was down there. Lots of it. When I left here..my weight was 153.4 and I was quite proud of that. However, I refused to touch the scale at my mother in laws house..REFUSED!!! And the more I ate, the further away from that scale I stayed. But, this morning, I had to do it...I got on the scale..and to my surprise, I was EXACTLY the same. 153.4... I was blown away. Finally, I could exhale.

I made the choice not inform my mother in law of my surgery.. I didn't want her to worry. She has enough on her plate..(no pun intended.) Given all that she has going on health wise, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just wanted her to enjoy her Thanksgiving with her family...and she did. But saying good-bye is always so hard.


Sure enough, the butterflies are starting to set in, slowly but surely. I have made my lists and I have checked them more than twice...

The medications I was prescribed and have already picked up are:

CEFADROXIL 500mg (an antibioticused for bacterial infection)
METHACARBAMOL 750mg (robaxin)(muscle relaxant used to treat pain caused by muscle spasms)
VALIUM 10mg (anxiety/muscle spasm/insomnia)
ONDANSETRON 8mg (nausea)
HYDROCO/APAP 7.5, 650mg (narcotic used to relieve moderate/severe pain)
CELEBREX 200mg (anti-inflammatory used to treat pain)

I sure hope this will be enough!!!

I still have not been able to find a power lift recliner. Everything that I am reading says this is the best thing to sleep in for the first week to ten days following a tummy tuck.
This is concerning because, not only will my stomach have been sliced from hip to hip, but my arms will be of no use because of the breast augmentation. I am somewhat sure there will also be significant discomfort from the VASOR Lipo. I am not kidding myself, I know it will be, ummmm, unpleasant.

The doctors office has already called and confirmed my hospital arrival for Tuesday, 5:00am.
I have already called the doctors office AGAIN and shared my concern about the "perfect incision". I am going to make a template and bring it with me to the hospital. I have done my research and I have seen this doctors work and he is quite talented...BUT..I want to be sure that there is NO misunderstanding.

I chose to have this work done at Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Al. I have been there before, not for myself but for friends, and I have NEVER seen such a caring, qualified and loving staff...EVER. Ironically enough, when I was there for pre-op work last week, the nurse that took care of me was from....that's right, Connecticut. New London to be exact. Small world. Although the doctor and the hospital are in Alabama, Dothan is only 2 hours away, as the crow flies.

I expect I will post my before pictures this evening or perhaps tomorrow. I made sure the pictures were taken at just the right angle. By that, I mean the angle in which "I" think it looks the worst.
My implants, although they look ok when I am dressed, have become quite disfigured over these last 20 years. It's true, that's how long this set has been in...and this was the 2nd set. Now it's time for #3. No, I am not going any bigger or any smaller. Same size, only this time the implants will be beneath the muscle. Again, another reason I may not have such good used of my arms for awhile. A word of advice if you are thinking of having implants put in....DON'T! I am quite serious.

I just finished doing my shopping for the week. The family should be fine... they will have to be. I have been looking for and stocking up on all kinds of wonderful foods to help with the healing process. Pineapple, Mango,..there are so many super foods out there..and they are part of my everyday diet anyway, so this will be no big change. I love CHOBANI yogurt, so I loaded up on those. Sinder will be making me some organic chicken soup for later in the week, or maybe next week. I found a great recipe that included sweet potatoes and she has graciously agreed to make it for me.

I suppose it's time for me to get the laundry done from this past week. I need to know that everything IS done, that can be done.

Till later this evening or tomorrow.

7 days til surgery

It's quite warm out this morning and the fog is quite thick. I have one one patient to see before we leave for Boynton.

Yesterday brought a bit of emotional relief..you see, what I failed to mention a few days ago was, Nov. 09th was our 22nd wedding anniversary. We didn't have anything planned, didn't even talk about it. Neither one of us even brought it up. But, that morning, I had an anniversary card for my husband and placed it next to the coffee pot so that he would see it when he went for his coffee. That evening, he brought me a plant, 2 cards and a bit of news. The news caught me by surprise. It seems that the school where he is employed, where he is a teacher and a coach of 2 sports, where he just made tenure...had let him go..he was one of seven that was cut from that facility. Budget cuts they said. My heart dropped, as I am sure his had done earlier that day.
The first thing I thought about was cancelling my surgery. How could I be so selfish as to undergo a surgery of self improvement, when my husband was unemployed? How could we make the payments on this very expensive, elective procedure? That's right, payments...(for some of it, anyways)(Well? What did you think? Did you really think that I had that kind of money just laying around? Are you kidding me?)

OK..now fast forward to last night. My husband comes home and says he was picked up by another school. Well...that was a relief to hear. But, the school isn't 1/2 mile away like the one he has been at, it's 30 miles away. I suppose the important thing is, he still has a job, and for that we're grateful.

I am still looking for one of those mobility chairs to help me after the surgery. I still haven't heard back from my friend, as to the availability of the one that they own. Seems that it is being used by a relative...OK, I need to have a plan B, just in case. I tried calling some of the medical supply places...you would think they would rent those suckers...but NO!!! I just need it for about 10 days.
Time for me to get my things together...our plan is to leave here about 3:00pm. Then comes the 566 mile drive to Boynton. There is no internet at my mother-in-laws, but I will bring my laptop and try to hit one or two wi-fi spots while I am there. (I think I like this blogging stuff...it seems to open the relief valve to my mind...

One more thing...you may find plenty of mistakes grammatically and/or otherwise in these posts. Unfortunately, writing is not something that I do well...it is just something that I am doing. But, rest assured, I will be working on the doing it well part.

Till tomorrow.

8 days til surgery....

Thanksgiving is only a few days away. Our family typically spends this holiday with my mother-in-law down in Boynton Beach. I am not looking forward to the drive, but I am looking forward to seeing her. She will be having surgery on December 6th...hers is not elective like mine. She has breast cancer...AGAIN. This time, no more lumpectomies. They must remove the right breast. She is in good spirits and is positive that the good Lord will see her through this surgery. She has no fears and no real concerns.

While we are down in S. Florida, we will be tasting some of the best Italian food known to man. I already know the menu...

Wednesday: Menesta and beans..sometimes referred to as greens and beans. This consists of boneless pork ribs, pepperoni, escarole, savoy cabbage and beans....OMG, it is so-o-o-o delicious. And of course, this
dish would not be complete without a huge piece of fresh Italian bread in hand...torn not cut. Pass the pecarino romano cheese, please!

Thursday will be: Meatsauce. If you are not familiar with meatsauce, this consists of: italian sausage, eyeround roast, pork roast and meatballs. The pasta is almost always ziti, because it holds more gravy.
The meatsauce will come out only after the antipasta..this course alone will take hours to enjoy. And then there is the wine...Oh, the wine...(I will be purchasing a case, like I do every year, to bring back home.) You need wine for everything...you need it to make salad, to prepare dinner, to eat dinner, you need it for dessert and you need it for a nap..the wine, the right wine, is so very important...
Then, just when your stomach wants to explode, she will come out and ask if anyone want's a fried egg...that's right, a fried egg...

After each meal, I go out for a walk/run, and this week will be no different, with the exception that now, after running daily for quite a while, I suspect that I will be running longer to help burn off the tens of thousands, of the most delicious calories ever consumed...I have worked hard to keep my weight under control. Make no mistake..one trip to my mother-in-laws house without a plan in place..could certainly ruin everything that I have accomplished. But I would enjoy every bite...

Today, as I have been doing for the past several days, I find myself in preparation mode for my own surgery. I am trying not to overthink it, but I want to be prepared. Medications filled, check. Laundry taken care of, check. House cleaned...well, it's not cleaned enough, but it will be by Monday night before surgery. My main concern is making sure that no infection sets in...no seromas, please, please, Lord...I will not allow myself to overdo it.

Do you know what I worry about...and you will think it's crazy. The scar..the scar from the TT. I understand that it will be significant, but...I want it to be, well, PERFECT. I don't want a "w" shaped scar and I dont want a crooked or an uneven scar..is that asking too much? Oh, I have addressed this with the doctor...your darn tootin' I have..
Wow..we obsess over the oddest things. Or, at least I seem to.

Well, I think that's it for now. I have more things to get accomplished before I can call this day done.

..9 Days 'til surgery

Hi....

My name is Ronda, and I am about to embark on, what some might think, is a selfish endeavor. I will be having some plastic surgery. My procedures will consist of: Breast Augmentation, Tummy Tuck and Vasor Liposuction. This forum is where I plan to share EVERYTHING about my journey. I don't plan to hold anything back and it will NOT be pretty. This will be as honest as it gets.

I will be documenting each day, what I am going through and what I am experiencing. My sister, Sinder, will be helping me with this and I am greatful to her for that.

I am 53 years old and have finally deceided it's time to get rid of something that has been bothering me for quite a long time, my stomach. Trust me...this is not about vanity. This is about dealing with something that has actually been a real problem for me.

After having 3 wonderful, albiet LARGE children (all birth weights between 9.4 pounds and 10.5 pounds)coupled with the typical weight gain and loss over many years, I have been left with a dunlop-like tire or what is often called a "muffin-top", and not only do I hate it, it bothers me....I mean really bothers me. Can I hide or camouflage it with just the right clothing? Of course I could...and I did. But "I" still knew it was there. I could see the abdominal protrusion that was my lax skin (even if no one else could notice it.) Not only could I see it..I could feel it. Yes, feel it. I could feel it touch my legs when I sat down, I could feel it shift and fall/flop from side to side as I changed positions in bed.....oh, and when summertime came..(which is my favorite most active time of the year,) I would cringe when it came time to choose a swimsuit. No matter how cute the suit, it looked horrible on me.

Some History:

My first child was the largest and his birth was all natural..NO pain meds and given the 50 pounds I gained with that pregnancy, my body snapped back to the 130 pounds I was before my pregnancy, and at 5'10, that was not bad. Then, my daughter was born several years later, she was a C-section baby...and finally my youngest son, the V-back baby...put it all together and I have 3 amazing kids and one messed up stomach...hence, the start of my... Footprints in the Sink.